Parallel parking fails more students from guesswork than from lack of skill. Once you lock four reference points to the car and the curb, the maneuver becomes repeatable.
1. Align bumper to bumper
Pull even with the car ahead so your mirrors roughly line up. Leave about two to three feet between vehicles—close enough to see the curb, wide enough to swing.
2. Reverse and turn at the rear bumper
Shift to reverse. When your side mirror reaches the rear bumper of the front car, turn the wheel fully toward the curb and roll slowly.
3. Straighten at forty-five degrees
When your car sits at about a 45° angle to the curb, straighten the wheel and continue back until your front bumper clears the car ahead.
4. Finish toward the curb
Turn the wheel away from the curb to tuck the front in, then center. Aim for even gaps front and back, and tires within about twelve inches of the curb.
Practice the same sequence in an empty lot until the timing feels boring. Boring is exactly what you want on test day.
